HNB Gami Pubuduwa Avurudu Pola at BMICH 6-7 April

 Vendors and visitors at HNB Gami Pubuduwa together with HNB Deputy General Manager (SME & Midmarket) Jude Fernando (right) speaking with a Gami Pubuduwa entrepreneur   

• Event marks 30 years of support for rural entrepreneurship

Commemorating the 30th anniversary since HNB first began championing microfinance, rural banking and entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka, the Bank announced the launch of its third annual Gami Pubuduwa Avurudu Pola.

Commencing from 10 am at the BMICH on 6-7 April, the event is growing to become the single largest showcase of a wide range of products created by HNB Gami Pubuduwa entrepreneurs – comprised of over 100 micro and small and medium enterprises.

The exhibition will provide the general public, as well as commercial customers, with a space to browse and shop from a wide array of locally-manufactured food and beverage products, Ayurvedic products, and an assortment of skilfully handcrafted items.

“For three decades, HNB has diligently cultivated partnerships with a range of small businesses, providing them with access to finance as well as financial and technical expertise. Our goal is to help them create viable businesses, while laying a foundation to scale up their growth, and over time, creating the ideal conditions for a thriving MSME sector.

“The HNB Gami Pubuduwa Avurudu Pola represents the logical advancement of this partnership. All of our Gami Pubuduwa entrepreneurs have been able to generate sales and raise their profile in previous exhibitions while some were able to secure long-term commercial scale business, including export orders. We are confident that this year will bring our customers even more success,” HNB Deputy General Manager (SME & Midmarket) Jude Fernando stated.

Operating across 250 customer service centres island-wide, HNB was one of the first Sri Lankan banks to enter the fields of microfinance, rural and SME banking. Utilising a network of 150 field officers that are coordinated from 10 SME cells at a regional level and a dedicated microfinance and SME unit within the bank, HNB extends capital to a range of customers. The Bank’s experience, innovation and impact in MSME lending has made it a respected industry leader.